This event has passed. Please watch a recording on our YouTube page.
A third of American adults enjoy birding. But how many more could experience the joy of connecting with wildlife if birdwatching became safe and welcoming for more people?
The Adirondack Land Trust invites you to join Birdability Executive Director Cat Fribley and Founder Virginia Rose on Tuesday, January 28, from 7 to 8 p.m. EST for a free virtual event that will delve into the organization's mission to enhance access and inclusivity for birders with disabilities and other health challenges. They will present their Birdability Map initiative—a crowdsourced guide to accessible birding locations around the world—and share practical insights for what each of us can do to remove barriers to birding.
This event is sponsored by Birds & Beans Coffee, an Adirondack Land Trust Business & Community Partner. Founded in 2008, Birds & Beans Coffee is certified USDA Organic, Fair Trade, and Smithsonian Bird Friendly.
Cat Fribley (she/her) brings 25 years in nonprofit development, a passion for birding, and a commitment to disability justice to her role as Executive Director of Birdability. Cat began birding in college, and birding became a source of mental health support and healing folloiwng a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis. Following injury and illness, Cat sought out adaptive ways to continue birding despite limited mobility. She has navigated accessible birding opportunities in all 50 states and now resides in Iowa City with her wife, two indoor cats, and a variety of backyard birds.
Virginia Rose (she/her) is the founder of Birdability and a wheelchair user since the age of 14 after having fallen off a horse. She began birding 21 years ago and discovered her best self in nature. She leads accessible bird outings for Travis Audubon Society and at various birding festivals around the country. A retired high school English teacher, Virginia is passionate about bringing the same joy, empowerment and community she found in birding and nature to others who have mobility challenges.
Photo by Mike Fernandez/National Audubon Society. From left, Annemarie Read of Travis Audubon Society, Birdability Founder Virginia Rose, and Birdability Executive Director Cat Fribley on an accessible birding outing at Blair Woods Nature Preserve in Austin, Texas.
For more information, please contact Philanthropy & Outreach Coordinator Kathy Woughter at or (518) 278-0916.